Reunion
by Renolvr
Summary: One tries to redeem himself, another fights to avenge his brother, while a third tries to understand exactly what has happened while he's slumbered. Pride has to be swallowed in order to protect Gaia and earn back SOLDIERs' honour.
1. Recollection

_**A/N: Okay, this is the third draft of chapter one. I like the idea I have for the plot, but I wasn't happy with how my writing was. I hope this is better :)**_

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How had so much changed?

Had it been that long since Zack had defeated him in Banora? How could the whole planet have changed so much in only a few years? Midgar was gone. That didn't sadden him. The floating city had been demeaning. It reminded those below of who were on top, and reminded those on top of how far ShinRa could make them fall. He had never been a fan of the over-populated and poluted city. He had been a country boy, just like so many others who had strived to join the ranks of SOLDIER.

Despite that, Midgar had become his home with the rank of SOLDIER. Anywhere had been better than the limited future Banora offered. He guessed that had been the reason behind his and Angeal's decisions to enter SOLDIER. A cold weight sank from the middle of his chest, straight down to the pit of his stomach as he stared at his friend's buster sword. It didn't belong here; over-looking the ruins of Midgar, marking where a fellow SOLDIER had fallen.

Zack was dead. Sephiroth had told him that, but he had still insisted on coming here to see for himself. He and Zack had never seen eye to eye. His personal decision to go against ShinRa had not helped that matter. Neither had his use of Angeal as a mere pawn. But Zack had been a hard person to not like; young, aspiring, a little naive at times, but determined. Genesis shook his head and sighed before running a gloved hand over the scratches and rust patches on the buster sword. He spoke quietly as he stood back up from where he had been crouched before the blade; a small smiled on his lips as he recalled Angeal's logic in not using the blade:

"Use brings about wear, tear and rust. And that's a real waste..."

"I informed you of what happened here. Why did you insist on coming?"

Genesis shrugged, his eyes still lingered on the blade as he ignored Sephiroth's question. It had been a big deal for Angeal to pass the blade on to Zack, he didn't know what had happened after that. Zack had fallen and been killed, that much was obvious. He had been on the run from ShinRa when they'd met in Banora. It looked like ShinRa had caught up with the SOLDIER.

Genesis tore his eyes away from the buster sword and looked out over the bluff towards the ruins of Midgar. He was having a hard time swallowing this reality. He found it hard to believe that all this happened while he'd remained sealed away in his cavern. He had agreed with the Goddess that he could not return until the planet was in genuine need of help. But why hadn't Meteor stirred him? Or the Geostigma epidemic? Or even Deepground? Why remain in slumber during all of those near-catastrophies, and be awoken now, when the only trouble seemed to be Sephiroth's three twits? Genesis looked back down at his friend's marred blade, a few partially wilted flowers skimmed across the ground as a breeze caught them. Nothing grew on the barren outcrop; someone had left them here. Had Zack had a girlfriend before he died?

"Who leaves the flowers? A girlfriend? Family?"

He had completely and knowingly ignored his question about coming here. Sephiroth sighed, already growing impatient with his friend's thought process. How was he supposed to know about Zack's family? He doubted they left the flowers here, Zack had been from Gongaga. And it was not his girlfriend. Zack had done well to keep his relationship with the Cetra under wraps, but rumours had began to circulate around the SOLDIER floor, speculating about his relationship with a flower girl from the slums soon after Genesis had gone MIA. The same girl he had murdered over three years ago.

"His family were from Gongaga, I am not sure if his parents are still alive. It was not his girlfriend. I would assume the flowers were left by Cloud."

"Cloud? How are you so sure it wasn't a sweetheart?"

Sephiroth walked forward a few steps, impatience setting in, this wasn't one of his books with sweethearts and torn love affairs. His impatience wasn't helped by the twinge of guilt in his chest. He hadn't asked to come here. He had not wished to be a part of this fight.

But he had been thrown into it. It confused him. He saw things clearer now; saw the reasons behind his defeat and saw how fainfully wrong he had been. Mother's – Jenova's – influence did not fog his mind any longer. But with that freedom came realization and guilt. He blamed Genesis for this. He wasn't sure why or how it was Genesis' fault, he was just as clueless as he was regarding the Goddess' logic, but if felt better having someone to blame.

"Cloud Strife, the infantryman with blond hair. He is the one who defeated me."

Genesis thought for a few seconds until his memories of Banora became more clear; Zack had had a younger man with him back then, but he had been wearing a SOLDIER uniform, or at least he thought he had. Genesis' extended slumber had done nothing to sharpen his recollections of past events. Neither had awakening to find the place he had known torn to its knees. He regretted that he had remained safe in slumber while the planet had been forced to its' limits, but that had been the Goddess' doing, not his. His fleeting guilt subsided to curiosity; Sephiroth had not answered a part of his question.

"You are avoiding the subject of the girlfriend."

Sephiroth was fast remembering why he and Genesis had butted heads so often during their years at SOLDIER. The younger man had a knack for pressing matters and questions which others wished to avoid; sometimes it was deliberate, while other times it was accidental and due to his curious nature. He wasn't sure which one it was right now, but either way Sephiroth knew he would not be allowed to leave this subject pass without a decent answer.

"She died before Meteor."

"The sector seven collapse you mentioned?"

"No, me."

The words foot and mouth shot to Genesis mind. He had never been one known to swear, but several curse words shot through his head at once. He and Sephiroth had never been the best of friends, they possessed a love/hate relationship at the best of times, that was not the fault of Sephiroth though, it was the fault of his own jealousy. Angeal had been forced to play referee between them most of the time.

Genesis groaned inward as he stopped his train of thought, a painful twinge reminding him of his role in Angeal's demise. He had played sides with his friend; forced him to choose between their friendship and his honour, which had resulted in Angeal removing himself from the equation for good. Great, now he was guilty again, and angry.

Why had they been chosen to help? Why had the Goddess allowed Sephiroth his chance for redemption, free from Jenova's influence for the first time since Nibelheim? Why was Weiss allowed an opportunity to avenge his brother's death and redeem himself? Why allow the three of them to help and fight and not allow Angeal?

Genesis did not understand why things were the way they were. He knew that what lay before them was not a simple task. The three remnants of Sephiroth had returned, they were seeking out the remaining Jenova cells. The more cells they acquired, the stronger they became. He had thought at first that he, Sephiroth and Weiss would be capable of defeating the three remnants on their own' eliminating the threat before it terrorized the inhabitants of Gaia yet again.

It had been a good plan, in theory. But the remants had made their grand re-entrance two weeks ago with a direct attack on the ShinRa Headquarters. No fatalities, but plenty of injuries. The purpose of the attack had not been to harm, but to undermine the stable environment which had developed after the whole Deepground saga. Genesis, Sephiroth and Weiss had stayed back, watching how the remnants fought and attacked, with the theory of indentifying weaknesses in mind. Again, their theoretical approach had failed them. They had clashed with the remnants only a week ago. They had grown stronger, which left them with only one option – allies.

It was the logical option. If they could not defeat the remnants on their own, then the next option was to outnumber and overpower them. But Genesis' logical option was not without its' flaws. He doubted that Rufus ShinRa would fall had over heels to ally with any of them; he who had caused the mass desertion of SOLDIER, Sephiroth who's long list of activities needed no elaboration, while Weiss' achievements were still fresh in the minds of ShinRa, AVALANCHE and Reeve's new company.

Genesis sighed again, resigning himself to the fact that no amount of procrastinating or thinking would get this over with any sooner. It was time to go and try to cross the bridges the three of them had incinerated years in the past.

He felt like a child being ordered to the principal's office. He knew he had messed up, but that didn't mean he wanted to admit to it. Of all the scenerios possible, he had never pictured himself and Sephiroth working together with a Tsviet, and about to approach ShinRa to request and alliance.

However bad he felt, Genesis was sure Sephiroth felt worse. After all, he had never tried to destroy the planet or killed anyone substantial...except Angeal.

Genesis groaned out loud as a new wave of guilt washed over him. Wherever Angeal was, he knew he would be enjoying watching him and Sephiroth squirm.

"Angeal had better laugh this up."

Sephiroth nodded; Angeal had gotten the easy side of this deal. How was he supposed to walk back into Edge or ShinRa Headquarters without causing a full-blown battle or uproar?

"I believe the option of a raise would be out of the question with Rufus?"

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**_A/N: Thanks for reading :)_**


	2. Alliance

_**A/N: Hi there, as usual I apologise for how long it's taken me to update. I've just realised this story is over two years old now, and I'm only uploading the second chapter now - I'm a little ashamed of myself.**_

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"What do we do? We can't just jump in an airship and head to the Northern Crater. They're stronger than before."

It burned his tongue to admit such, but Cloud could no longer overlook the obvious. That plan may have worked in the past with Sephiroth, but the remnants had avoided making the same moves as their predecessor. he hated them, but he wasn't about to underestimate them. Cloud leaned back against the wall, remaining silent as he watched Denzel and Marlene, both looking out the window of Seventh Heaven.

So much for them having a better childhood than he'd had. It was his teenager years that he'd lost; Denzel was only eleven and already he was orphaned, a survivor of Geostigma, Deepground and now the remnants had resurfaced. How was he supposed to make sure they didn't get hurt this time around? He and Tifa had managed to get them out of Edge before Deepground had shown up, but the remnants were different. Their attacks were purposefully sporadic. There was no cycle, it made it impossible for anyone to predict their next target; without knowing where they would attack next, nowhere was safe. The blond sighed and looked to both Rufus and Reeve for inspiration. The others were busy running errands and helping with repairing the damage done to the ShinRa building. The three of them had been left to discuss their next plan of action, only there were stumped.

They couldn't launch a direct attack on the Northern Crater; they didn't even know if the remnants were based there. If they sent some of the Turks or the WRO on recon there, either they would come back empty-handed or the remnants would be there. If they were there, then it was highly unlikely the recon team would return, either way they would be none the wiser and possibly down some men.

On top of that, none of them knew what the remnants were after this time, or what their goal was. The likely presumption revolved around Sephiroth, something they could all do without going through again. He still remembered his last fight with the ex-SOLDIER; he still bore the scars as a reminder of how close he had come to losing. But the ex-SOLDIER's last words left that a distinct possibility.

Cloud glanced up as the door to the bar rattled, the bolt holding it shut; he hadn't wanted to get stuck serving drinks while trying to figure out what to do next. Part of him was flattered that everyone had turned his way for ideas, but the other half of him was stressing because he didn't want to leave them down or be responsible for them getting hurt. He pushed his doubts to the back of his head as he focused on the matters at hand.

"Denzel, get the door."

Cloud walked out from behind the bar, leaning against the counter of the bar as he looked to Rufus and Reeve; they'd hit the same wall as he had, but they didn't have the added pressure of everyone expecting them to know what to do. Reeve was in charge of the WRO, he had to wait for Intel before mobilising his forces. Rufus had a few Turks under his command and some choppers on loan from Reeve, but any power the man had held in Midgar had been stripped away with the city's downfall. They were waiting on him to decide on a plan of action.

"Uh, Cloud…"

He waved a hand in Denzel's general direction without looking up; Cloud had already explained why he couldn't go to the church with him today. He knew he'd promised and he hated breaking promises to Denzel, but the remnant situation took preference.

"We need to find out where they're based, and then establish what they're after this time. I know the obvious answer, but we need to be sure."

"Cloud…"

"In a minute Denzel. Any remaining Jenova Cells, or information regarding that project, needs to be located before they get them."

Denzel gave his father figure an incredulous look and stumbled backwards away from the door as three men walked through. He had never seen any of them in person before, but he knew who they were. He had grown up on the plate, he had dreamt of someday making it into SOLDIER; he had seen two of the men on posters, plastered all over Midgar. He knew what the taller one had done to Cloud. He knew he was the one responsible for almost taking away the only father he had left; he was the one responsible for the thin white scars on Cloud's arms and the one along his left cheek.

"Denzel?"

Denzel stepped further away from the approaching men as he heard Marlene's frightened voice, his heart hammered painfully against the inside of his ribs. Had they come here to hurt Cloud again? Were the remnants with them, or was he what the remnants were now? He knew the first man was responsible for Meteor and was the man Cloud had fought. The second was a SOLDIER, he'd seen his face on posters in Midgar, and the third was the man who had been in charge of Deepground…what if they were back too? The eleven-year-old stopped abruptly as he grabbed Marlene's wrist, pulling the younger girl behind him; using his hands and taller frame to shield her.

Cloud spun as he registered the fear in Marlene's voice, eyes immediately locking onto a familiar face. Fear and questions didn't have time to fog his mind, only instinct; the twenty-six-year-old's hand closed around the hilt of his core blade; holding its point to the man's neck as he pushed Denzel and Marlene behind him. Why had he insisted they'd be safer and wouldn't get in the way at the bar- another fine example of his leadership qualities.

Had the remnants found more of Jenova's cells? Kadaj had fused with them the last time, resulting in a return visit from Sephiroth - was that what had happened this time? That would explain his presence, but not the other two. Weiss's body had never been discovered or seen returning to the Lifestream, the remnants could have found him and recruited him as an ally. As for the other SOLDIER, he knew him solely from being in SOLDIER and for the man's desertion of his post back in Midgar: Genesis Rhapsodos.

He ignored the two other men as they drew and cocked their handguns; his eyes remained squarely on the blond as countless questions and fears flashed across his blue eyes. He had never noticed that before. He had never seen anything but determination or despair in them before. Sephiroth's glance took in several pictures on the wall of the bar, both framed and hand-drawn. He assumed they were the handy work of the two children Cloud was now protecting.

He was ready to jump head first into a fight, despite none of them holding a weapon. Nevertheless, Sephiroth couldn't criticise the blond for reacting the way he had, their past meetings hadn't exactly been of the friendly kind. However, none of them were here for a fight. If they'd intended on ambushing them, they wouldn't have used the front door of the bar, and they would have used the presence of children to their advantage.

Genesis stepped around his friend, amusement pulling his mouth into a small smirk as he eyed the blade directed at the man's throat. So this was the comatose kid Zack had been so hell-bent on protecting? He was the one who had defeated Sephiroth twice? He guessed looks were deceiving; Cloud certainly didn't look like he could hold his own against the former-hero. Genesis had just about been capable of holding his own against Sephiroth back in Midgar, and he held the rank of 1st Class, Cloud had only made the rank of an infantryman.

"If we were here to attack, the boy would already be dead. Also, our entrance wouldn't have been through the front door. Now, if you would like to drop your sword, we might explain why we're standing here."

Nothing changed. The man didn't move an inch and neither did the other two men. Genesis frowned as he leaned back against the wall; if they were here to start a fight, they would have done so by now.

"We're not here to aid the remnants."

He didn't care what mind-tricks they tried to play, Cloud wasn't going to loosen his grip on the blade. At least he now had the answer to his first question; he knew what the remnants' goal had been. But why were they just standing there? Why hadn't they simply attacked the bar? Were they toying with him and the others? Maybe they were waiting for more allies to arrive and wipe everyone out at once?

That had never been a strategy of Sephiroth's in the past, while Weiss had used his Tsviets to do his dirty work. As for Genesis, Cloud had only vague memories of the man, but he knew the SOLDIER had abandoned his job and turned on ShinRa, contributing to the collapse of the force he had spent his childhood idolising.

"If you're not helping the remnants, then how's he here? I thought the three of them were parts of him?"

Cloud shot Denzel a warning glare, answered by the boy quickly disappearing behind the bar's counter with Marlene in tow. Now wasn't the time to get picky about things. Although, he did have a point. The last time Sephiroth had returned, it had been thanks to Kadaj fusing with some remaining Jenova cells. They said they weren't here to aid the remnants, which meant Sephiroth was Sephiroth, not one of the remnants.

Genesis smirked at the boy's question; if the adults wouldn't hear them out, at least the child would. He had a valid point, something he had already questioned his friend on. Understanding the remnants had been a hard enough task for him, but how they retained their independent existence alongside Sephiroth had stumped him just as much.

"Good question. I think you have Cloud to thank for that."

"What?"

It was an angered demand, but it was some kind of conversation between them. Genesis raised an eyebrow as he watched the blond. He mightn't want to admit it, or maybe he didn't even realise it, but his past actions had impacted on the present situation.

"Back in Nibelheim, when Sephiroth went on his little tirade, he stabbed you and you threw him into the Lifestream, correct?"

Cloud faltered as realisation slowly crept over him; so this was his fault too? Nibelheim had been destroyed, his mother gone, Zack and Tifa had been hurt; he had acted on instinct. How had he been supposed to know what it would lead to; Geostigma had been enough to highlight the damage he'd caused, but now the remnants too?

"Geostigma was a reaction to Jenova's cells within the Lifestream. The remnants are the reunion factor kicking in; they seek to reunite and reconstitute Jenova, they are her will at work this time. But it all boils down to his little swim in the Lifestream."

Sephiroth shot his friend a cold glare; he didn't need to be so nonchalant about things. He was explaining things with an outside view and laying all the blame on his and Cloud's shoulders. However, Genesis overlooked the role he played in the travesties that had almost torn the planet apart.

"You are as much to blame as myself or Cloud. You were the one to give your knowledge to Deepground and you were the one to point out my past in Nibelheim."

Was Sephiroth actually defending him? Cloud stared in bemused shock as the two SOLDIERs set about arguing with each other. He glanced to Rufus and Reeve, both of which had lowered their guns and seemed taken aback by what was happening. ShinRa had never found Genesis's body, so his return was allowed. They could partially understand that. The same thing went for Weiss. But Sephiroth had most definitely been destroyed … on several occasions. If the remnants were Jenova's will acting to reunite, then what was his purpose?

"How come the three twits are Mommy's little favourites now?"

Sephiroth halted his argument with Genesis as he registered Rufus's cutting questions. He didn't appreciate Jenova being called his mother, not anymore. He saw things clearly now, he knew she was an abomination that wished only for destruction; that wasn't what he had wanted. At least, that was never one of his wishes in SOLDIER. It had never been his intention, not until Genesis has kindly shown him the illusion his past had been. Regardless of who was to blame, he wasn't that man anymore. Whether they would believe or accept that was an entirely different story.

"I never intended to cause har-"

"Bullshit! You tried to crush Midgar - you made Ruvie sick and she died!"

"Denzel."

Cloud spoke lowly as he waited for the boy to duck back down behind the bar. Reeve watched the youngster with lamenting eyes also. He had every right to be angry, but that wouldn't get them very far. He could wait to hear Sephiroth out, then shout if he wanted to.

He was the last person to defend the SOLDIER, but Cloud couldn't neglect how things had been once upon a time. Zack had spoken highly of Sephiroth, as had many other members of SOLDIER and ShinRa, be had fallen into darkness because of ShinRa; they had hidden his past from him and lied about everything.

Even Cloud had lost himself to lies and idealistic notions … he had claimed to be a SOLDIER, using Zack's past as a template for his. He didn't like to admit it, but he understood how quickly and dangerously warped things could become. That said, he had never destroyed homes or cities.

"Everything he did was my fault. I instigated what happened at Midgar and I took enjoyment in watching him self-destruct."

Genesis held his hands up as he stared at the floor; if there was ever a time to be honest, he guessed now was it. Angeal would have hammered home the truth before now, but he wasn't here to bend anyone's arms. They had to own up for themselves and rectify what their rivalry had caused.

"Why?"

Great, now Marlene was taking Denzel's questions as an example. Cloud groaned as he watched the two children peep up from behind the bar - why weren't they petrified? His heart was hammering pretty hard against his ribcage, he was sure Rufus and Reeve were the same, yet Denzel and Marlene were more curious than anything else.

Why was a good question, and one Genesis had asked himself a lot over the last few weeks. The answer was simple though, he had been jealous. He had wanted to be the hero and receive all the glory. He had wanted to knock Sephiroth from his pedestal and take his perch on it. As childish and trivial as they were, those were his only reasons.

"I was jealous."

"I wasn't, I just wanted revenge."

Genesis gave Weiss a warning glare; they were here to somehow form an alliance, not remind everyone of their past accomplishments. He had played his own part in what Sephiroth had done, but he hadn't actually burned Nibelheim to the ground, nor had he tried to summon Meteor. He had slept through it all, trusting the goddess to awaken him when she felt he was needed; it was his penance for the harm he had caused and he fully accepted it.

He had destroyed his friendship with Angeal and forced his childhood friend to his limits. Once Angeal had removed himself from everything, he had set his sights on Sephiroth. Genesis felt the familiar sinking feeling in his stomach again as he reflected on his past actions. Cloud, Reeve and Rufus would not trust Sephiroth or Weiss, that left him as the only trustworthy member of their group. Things would go nowhere if they stayed here accusing each other.

"We aren't here to help the remnants, the opposite actually. We intended to eliminate them without approaching any of you. However, it appears they have already gained some of Jenova's cells, they are much stronger than they were before. We tried to defeat them, but we drew even. We're here to offer our assistance - we all want the same thing here."

"Why - what's in it for you three?"

It was the sole reason the goddess had spared him. Genesis had agreed to her terms; only to return when the planet was in dire need. Weiss wished to avenge his brother - Hojo had forced his hand, he was also the man responsible for the Jenova project and therefore, the remnants. Sephiroth … he wished for redemption.

"The gift of the goddess … I slept beneath Banora since my disappearance, told that I would only awake when the world was in need of my help."

"Coz Sector Seven's collapse wasn't all that bad, huh? Or Meteor, or Geostigma - Deepground? I'm pretty sure everyone needed help then."

"Denzel - seriously, quit it."

The eleven-year-old glared at Cloud's harsh words. How could he not be angry too? This SOLDIER had just shown up, with two of the biggest enemies they'd ever met with him. He claimed he was here to help, but what about everything that had happened so far? His parents had been killed in Sector Seven. Ruvie had tried to protect him in Midgar, but the stigma had killed her. It could have killed him. Deepground had almost killed everyone - and now he decided to show up to save the day?

"No - you nearly got killed the last time you fought him."

He dreaded to think what would happen if someone walked into the bar right now; they would be confronted with an ex-SOLDIER, along with two men who had taken enjoyment in trying to destroy the planet … they were supposed to be trying to find a solution to the remnants; track them down, establish their goals and eliminate them. Not watch other enemies crawl out of the woodwork. This wasn't how he'd pictured his day going.

"Go upstairs."

"Cloud!"

"Denzel, please?"

Cloud groaned as Denzel slammed the door on his way out with Marlene; he was scared of losing the family he had now, he understood that, but neither he or Tifa were going anywhere. As for the three men now standing in front of them, he could bring himself to trust Genesis, as far as he was concerned, the man was an ex-SOLDIER who had resurfaced. However, he would never trust Weiss or Sephiroth.

"He's outspoken."

"His parents were killed when Sector Seven collapsed. Reeve's mother cared for him until she died from Geostigma. I found him in Midgar after he'd collapsed from the stigma … he's entitled to be outspoken."

Genesis quickly looked away as a wave of guilt washed over him. The boy looked no older than eleven or twelve and yet he'd suffered more than many other people, why? Everyone had needed help, but the goddess hadn't seen it as a sufficient enough cause. Why hadn't she awoken him earlier - for a child to go through so much, it wasn't right.

He had no answers for any of Denzel's questions. He had no reason for why the goddess suddenly deemed the remnants a higher risk than all that had come before them. Genesis glanced back up, watching Cloud, Reeve and Rufus as he spoke, hoping his voice sounded as honest as his intentions.

"I don't have the answers you're all looking for. I'm here to do all I can to stop the remnants, so are Sephiroth and Weiss. If you can't bring yourself to trust them, then trust me - you have my word."

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_**A/N: Hopefully it won't be another two years before I get chapter 3 up :/ Seriously, it won't be. I'm absolutely in shock after noticing that. Anyhow - thanks for reading and I hope you liked it ;)**_


	3. Reaction

_**A/N: See, I told you guys it wouldn't be another two years :P**_

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Cloud watched the eleven-year-old in silence, as he leaned against the door frame of his office; he had every right to be scared and angry, but they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Neither group could defeat the remnants on their own, but together they might stand a chance.

However, Genesis's presence wasn't an encouraging factor. If what he claimed about the goddess was true, then things were a lot worse than they'd originally thought. He hadn't considered the three remnants as big a risk as Deepground and Sephiroth, but it looked as if he'd underestimated the trio. Cloud pushed the remnants to the back of his mind as he noticed Marlene's absence, the last thing he needed was her to be outside playing. Not only was it not safe, but Marlene tended to hear everything and keep no secrets. He didn't want her letting people know about the visitors in the bar.

"Where's Marlene?"

"Her room."

It looked like the youngster was still peeved about being reprimanded. Cloud hadn't meant to order anyone around, but he'd been having a hard enough time getting his head around things, without Denzel's constant input. The twenty-six-year-old sighed as he pushed himself away from the door frame.

"Not talking to me, huh?"

"How can you side with them? Two of the biggest lunatics this world's ever seen, and a coward who hides away when he doesn't get what he wants! Don't you remember how much he hurt you the last time - he nearly kille-"

"I know."

Everything he said was true. But he didn't have much of a choice in matters. Cloud sighed as he leaned against the window of his office. Of course he remembered, he had the scars to prove it, if it hadn't been for Aerith's healing water in the church, he mightn't be standing here now. But the remnants had also played a role in that, it had been Yazoo who'd shot him.

Denzel had already been through so much, he wasn't as innocent and naïve as other kids his age. He knew bad things happened and he knew you didn't have to be a bad person for those things to happen to you. His parents had done nothing wrong, they had been victims of collateral damage. Ruvie had done nothing wrong, she had looked after him and tried to protect him, but the stigma had killed her. Denzel had done nothing other than try to survive, but Geostigma had crept up on him too.

"What do you want me to do Denzel?"

Silence met his question, but if he was willing to constantly voice his views and join the adults in their conversations, then Cloud was going to treat him like an adult.

"We can't even figure out where the remnants are. We can't beat them by ourselves. Do you want me to tell those three that we don't need their help … if I do that, what stops them from going to help the remnants?"

"What stops them from doing that as it is?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing apart from their words - scrap that, absolutely nothing apart from Genesis's word. Regardless, it was still something to go on. Cloud was growing more and more surprised with Denzel's quick thinking, he had picked up on a lot of good points since the three men had shown up. If he had been more like him as a kid, then maybe he would have made it into SOLDIER?

The blond shook his head, mentally berating himself for mulling over the past. He needed to tackle the matters at hand.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I need you to trust me, and right now I have to trust Genesis. I don't have any other choice."

He didn't like it. He didn't want to trust any of those men, but Genesis was the only guy who hadn't actually tried to kill everyone. Denzel remembered seeing posters of all the SOLDIERs in Midgar, along with the bulletins their fan clubs posted around the place; why hadn't Angeal Hewley shown up with them, at least he had been cool. Denzel remembered his Mom being a member of the Keepers of Honour. She had also been a member of Genesis's fan club at one stage, but had given up due to not having enough time to keep up with the club's reading of Loveless.

"I'd prefer to trust Angeal."

Cloud laughed lightly as he glanced at the angel statue above the street outside. At least Denzel was dealt with, but he was only one hurdle. He still had everyone else to explain things to. He doubted either Rufus or Reeve would offer to explain things, and something told him none of the others would be willing to stand still and listen while Sephiroth, Weiss or Genesis explained.

That left him as the only viable mediator. He dreaded to think how Tifa would react to this, she had always told him that Seventh Heaven was an open house for those in need, but he doubted she'd accept that as an explanation for the men downstairs.

"I think we've enough SOLDIERs to deal with … Tifa's gonna kill me."

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He barely had enough time to close the kitchen door behind before her silent resolve broke.

"Get them out of my house, now!"

This wasn't exactly how he'd pictured this going. He had expected her to object the moment she saw Genesis and the other two standing in the bar, she had frozen alright, along with the others who'd been with her. A few had jumped for their weapons, with the others looking around for the tell-tale signs of a fight. But there hadn't been any. Their initial fighting thoughts had quickly given way to extreme confusion upon seeing him, Rufus and Reeve sitting down and standing around the bar with no weapons and no injuries.

He had expected Tifa to demand an answer then and there, but she had quietly asked where Denzel and Marlene were before nodding at his answer and walking past him. The look she had given him on the way through the bar had said enough: _we need to talk, now_. He'd seen her angry before, livid even, but the fierce glare in her eyes and harsh line of her mouth told him she was beyond that now.

"Tifa … I need to explain."

What was there to explain? Sephiroth had killed her father, killed Cloud's mother, burned Nibelheim to its foundations, murdered Aerith, destroyed Midgar and had killed countless others with Geostigma. It had only been two years since Weiss and his Tsviets had awoken Omega. As for Genesis - she didn't know much about him, but she was sure he'd done something bad enough to warrant her hating him. He was a SOLDIER after all, they all seemed to enjoy a common pastime; killing people.

The planet was still recovering from Deepground's attack, families were still piecing their lives back together. She couldn't understand why they were here - surely Cloud and the others would have fought them off? Tifa ignored the small voice in the back of her head, undermining her adamant thoughts; could Cloud, Rufus and Reeve have survived if the three men had attacked? What if they'd hurt Denzel and Marlene? She wasn't willing to put her family in jeopardy.

"I don't want to know - just get them out of here, get them away from everyone!"

It fell on this his shoulders again. Everyone turned to him for answers. They all turned to him when a plan was needed and they all ran to him when a fight was coming. Even if he wanted to, Cloud doubted he would stand a chance on his own against the three, but it didn't stop her and everyone else expecting that of him. He hated two of them with an undying vengeance, the third he wasn't sure about, but for once in a long time, they had some genuine help.

They had been left on their own to deal with Sephiroth, along with the remnants the first time around and then the WRO had helped with Deepground. They had a self-destructing problem on their hands again, and for once some outside help had shown up. Cloud could never bring himself to trust Sephiroth or Weiss, but he wasn't about to dismiss any of their skills or powers.

"You think it's as simple as just asking them to leave?"

The barmaid blinked as she registered her friend's sarcastic tone. It wasn't like him to be sarcastic, even when times called for it, he generally just walked away from those situations. Why hadn't he kicked those men out or at least done something? How long had they been here? In her bar - her _home_. Sephiroth had already taken away Nibelheim, she couldn't let him take away this home too. How could Cloud stand there and not do anything? Was Sephiroth or Jenova playing mind games with him again?

Tifa forced back hot tears as she walked towards her friend, trying desperately to notice a change; a distanced look in his eyes, a vacant glance - something to justify this. The last time he had been used as a puppet, he had handed Sephiroth the materia he'd needed to summon Meteor, and then he'd almost hurt Aerith … had she lost her friend again?

"They just showed up. They've been trailing the remnants, they tried to deal with them on their own and failed … the remnants are acting on Jenova's behalf, not Sephiroth's, they w-"

A sharp pain across his cheek stopped him mid-explanation. Cloud stared at the floor for several seconds before looking back up to meet Tifa's eyes. He had expected the anger, the hurt, the fear, but he hadn't expected that. In all the years they had known each other, never once had either of them hit the other outside of a battle, there had been instances where a foe had used confusion in a battle, but they had never hurt each other intentionally. His cheek stung, but the pain was nothing compared to what he had gone through before. She didn't trust him anymore, he could see it in her eyes and it hurt a lot more than her slap.

"Tifa."

She hadn't meant to do that, it had just happened. In the seconds it had taken him to look back up, she had been bracing herself for a blow back … Cloud would never hit her, he'd always promised to protect her, but how could she believe that after seeing those three in her bar? Tifa swallowed past the lump in her throat as she spoke.

"No. You don't get to stand here in my home and defend him. No, Cloud."

* * *

"Papa!"

Barrett quickly changed his gun back to a hand and he stooped to pick up Marlene as she ran into the bar; she was safe, Spikey hadn't been lying. Barely a word had been spoken since Tifa and Cloud had left, he could have sworn he'd heard the barmaid's raised voice a time or two, but no one within the bar had decided to go and investigate. Why were they here, were they delivering a message or threat from the remnants?

Were they what the remnants were now? The last time the youngest remnant had turned himself into Sephiroth - had the other two had makeovers this time too? It didn't explain Spikey's lack of action, or excuse Reeve and Rufus either. They had just been sitting here with those three, not a care or doubt in mind - why?

"They're here to help - they don't like the remnants either - they want to help you get rid of them."

It had been left to a child to point out the obvious yet again. Genesis smirked as Marlene informed the bar of their intentions, the clever child had also effectively disarmed her father. He couldn't help but wonder if she and Denzel had planned this, considering their inquisitive and perceptive queries earlier, he suspected there was more to the duo than their innocent looks and naive questions.

He had made an agreement with Sephiroth and Weiss to allow him to do whatever speaking was necessary. He had done the least amount of harm in the past, so therefore he was the one people wouldn't feel as threatened by. However, he hadn't banked on Reeve and Rufus keeping their mouths shut too, nor had he expected Cloud to get towed out of the middle.

He had no doubt the blond was being interrogated elsewhere, something told him the woman who had collared Cloud wasn't a push-over. Neither were any of the people standing in the bar now; he had spotted several guns, an electro-magnetic rod, and some more guns the moment they'd all froze upon noticing him and the others.

Genesis nodded as Rufus picked up where the young girl had left off.

"She's telling the truth. Genesis, Sephiroth and Weiss have tried to deal with the remnants on their own and failed. We have failed also - the next logical step is t-"

"Hell no - we spent long enough chasing this fucker around the planet, tryin' to get rid of him - and now you want to _logically_ go and play team-mates?"

"You want to go do the same with the remnants? Wait, where are they again?"

Now he had their attention. Genesis doubted any of them, besides the Turks, would know who he was. Apparently ShinRa had destroyed a lot of his information when he'd defected. They could take the time to delete his information, but yet overlook Deepground? Granted, not many within the company had been privy to the knowledge of Deepground, but the higher ups certainly had. It wasn't much use musing over their incompetence now, it wouldn't get him very far in this popularity contest.

He wished he had a better explanation for where he'd been all along, or why he was suddenly here to help. For some reason _I was a sleep and now I woke up_, just didn't have the reassuring ring he was looking for, it made him look like he was narcoleptic. Genesis knew Angeal was laughing his butt off, wherever the man was. All the years he'd spent lecturing them about their SOLDIER honour and dreams, and here they were trying to justify their past actions and cling on to that honour.

"Laugh it up Angeal … you don't like us, we're not the biggest fans of you either, but we're not here to cause trouble. The very fact that we're standing here unarmed, while you all jumped for the nearest weapons should prove that."

Genesis noticed several of their grips loosen on guns, they could still draw them if they wanted, but it was a step in the right direction.

"What do you really want?"

The low voice had come from the black-haired man with the red cape. He'd ask about their names later, he'd been the owner of the gun Genesis had been paying the most attention to. He had already exhausted the '_we're here to help' _line, it had been thrown out there twice for the bar already and they weren't biting, it was an honest answer, but they were more concerned with personal agendas.

"I caused a lot of trouble within ShinRa before I disappeared, because of it, the Goddess made allowed me to sleep until the planet would need my help."

The ex-SOLDIER glanced to the two men alongside him, shrugging as Weiss took the initiative to pick up where he had left off.

"I want to avenge my brother - Hojo had control of me… the Jenova project and everything related to it, including the remnants are his doing."

Several silent seconds ticked by as eyes rested on the third and final person, awaiting his attempt at an explanation. All waiting to shoot down any word of an apology he might make.

"Redemption … that's all I want, I will do anything it takes to get that. I am no longer under Jenova's influence, or my own insanity. I won't insult you with apologies or explanations, but I will offer you my skills and help."

* * *

"What do you want me to do, Teef? Tell them that we don't need their help? Tell them that we can handle this? The only reason Genesis is back, is **_because_** we can't deal with the remnants. The Goddess only woke him because the planet needs all the help it can get this time."

It had needed it all along. She assumed _Genesis_ was the one with the red coat. Cloud was speaking as if he knew exactly what was going on - how long had they been in her bar? Tifa shook her head as she stepped away from her friend, she couldn't keep listening to him defending the man who had destroyed their hometown. He was a murderer, so was Weiss.

"The _Goddesss_ - and you believe that?"

He hated the sarcastic tone her voice took one. She wasn't one to get sarcastic, upset, angry, teasing even, but not bitter and sarcastic. Cloud held her glare as he spoke honestly.

"As much as I believe that Aerith helped us during Geostigma."

"You're using that card? Are you serious - he's the one who **_murdered_** her, Cloud!"

Cloud groaned as Tifa stood at the other side of the kitchen table, her eyes demanding his come-back. He was getting nowhere, and he wasn't going to either. She was upset, shocked and hurt - but above all that, she was being stubborn. Just like when they had been kids, once she got a notion in her head, she wouldn't let it go. They had her stubbornness to thank for their fall from the bridge in Mt. Nibel, and he had it to thank for the angered threats he'd received from her father back then.

"Why d'you always have to be so stubborn?"

She felt her anger rise as his words met her ears - stubborn? She was the one who always had to hold everything together. She was the one who looked after Marlene and Denzel, she was the one who had looked after his business when he'd gone on the missing list during the remnants first appearance. He was the one who took an age to get over things. He was the one who had always thought himself better than the other kids - he was the stubborn one.

"You always thought you better than everyone else - you ran off to go play SOLDIER!"

Cloud slammed his hands down on the edge of the kitchen table, mirroring Tifa's stance, glaring at her as he spat out his answer.

"I only did that to impress y-"

"Why're you arguing about when you were kids?"

They had been too busy shouting to notice him open the door. Denzel looked from Cloud to Tifa as he pushed the door shut behind him; he didn't like it when they argued. He didn't want Cloud to move out again. At least if he was there, they'd stop arguing and might listen to each other. He had been angry at Cloud too, albeit moreover for getting told to leave the bar than anything else, but he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Denzel, go back upstairs."

"Why? Coz there's three SOLDIERs in the bar - is Weiss technically a SOLDIER? I'm just gonna call him one anyhow."

The eleven-year-old's constant input may have irked him earlier, but Cloud was finding it difficult to keep an amused smile from his face as the boy shrugged and sat down at the table, picking a chair mid-way between himself and Tifa.

"Marlene's with her Dad in the bar, they were all just staring at each other, so she broke the ice."

Tifa took a breath to say something to the boy, but found herself unable to form words. Why had she and Cloud been arguing about their childhoods? It had absolutely nothing to do with the men standing in her bar. Her slap had done nothing but stun the blond, she'd wanted to actually hurt him, so throwing about his past had seemed like the easiest way to achieve that.

"Just get them out-"

"But then they could turn around and help the remnants out of spite. Cloud didn't invite them here, they just showed up. The remnants already beat them, and they beat you guys, so maybe you can all beat them together? I know what everyone thinks, but Sephiroth and Weiss have barely said two words, they're not here to hurt anyone, Tifa. I think they want to do something to fix the bad they've done - like how Vincent thought he had to fix things he'd let happen years ago - and how Cloud thought he had to fix things he'd let happen to Zack and Aerith. If Cloud was allowed to make things right, then why can't these guys try to makeup for what they've done?"

* * *

"I'll make this a bit easier; ShinRa accepts your offer."

Rufus smirked smugly as his Turks separated from the larger group, making their way across the bar to stand behind him. He ignored several of Reno's muttered swears as he waited for silence to fall once more. Many of the Turks who had broken away when Tseng had eliminated Veld, had since returned to the company following Deepground's attack; none within the Turks could cast judgement on the three men standing before him. The Turks had done their fair share of dirty deeds in the past - point of principle, Reno had carried out the order for the collapse of Sector Seven, killing thousands of innocent people .

The company owner frowned as he stopped mid thought - that approach could work to win over some of the others. He understood their wariness and anger, but the three men weren't here to harm or hinder, they were here to help. Several of them had been swayed by Genesis's words, he just needed to finish the persuasion. The young man glanced back as Reno let rip another string of swears.

"I heard that. You're quick to judge - what was the approximate death-toll of Sector Seven again?"

Rufus raised an eyebrow in the red-head's direction before turning to face the rest of the bar.

"Look at the facts; ShinRa was once your adversary. Cait Sith and Reeve were tasked with spying on you all, and Yuffie had an affinity for stealing your belongings in the past."

"She still does."

Cid's muttered comment gained him an elbow to the ribcage from the petite ninja. Yuffie stuck her tongue out as she pushed past the gruff pilot. She eyed Rufus and his Turks, before glancing over to the three SOLDIERs. Rufus had a good point, especially where Sector Seven was concerned. None of them openly blamed Reno for it, he had been following orders after all, but she understood the point it made.

She had been forced to grow up a lot in the two years since Deepground's attack. Her father had been tasking her with more and more official duties, it had made her realise that sometimes you had to look at the larger picture, not just the small pieces that constituted it. She turned her attention to the one man she didn't recognise - one of the words he'd said rang faint bells of recognition in her mind.

"You said 'Angeal' - who's he?"

Genesis frowned as he glanced up, he hadn't thought anyone had heard that, he'd barely mumbled the comment. He would have to learn to watch his words around this girl, something told him she wasn't one to be fooled easily. Why would Angeal's name interest her though, he doubted Rufus had made SOLDIERs' past members open knowledge to the population.

She seemed far too young to remember SOLDIER at its height. Although, she looked like she was from Wutai, Angeal had been on a mission in Wutai when Genesis had persuaded him to leave SOLDIER.

"Angeal Hewley, he was Zack Fair's mentor … and an old friend of mine and Sephiroth's."

That was where she'd heard the name - Zack. She had only been around eight or nine when Fort Tamblin had been raided by SOLDIER, but she vividly remembered her battle with Zack, if only for the embarrassment it caused her today. The poor guy must have thought he'd run into the village idiot when she had loudly announced her heritage, along with how she was going to defeat him. But he had played along where other SOLDIERs would have struck her down … if Angeal had been his mentor, that meant Zack had been influenced by the man.

"Okay … I give one chance, please don't make me regret it."

"Yuffie."

Yuffie shrugged as she strolled over to stand alongside Reeve, Rufus and his Turks, ignoring Vincent's warning tone. She knew she was putting a lot on the line - she was heir to the throne in Wutai, by trusting these men, she could be putting her people at risk. But Zack had obviously had an amazing teacher - anyone else would have killed a meddling and annoying little brat, especially during a raid on a stronghold. Something told her she could afford to trust these men.

"I know. But I'm trusting my head here, and it says we need to trust them."

* * *

_**A/N: It's a little longer than the last chapter, but I wanted to try and cover everyone's reaction, let me know what you guys thought and thanks for sticking by this despite my sporadic updates :)**_


	4. Reality

_**A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update guys :(**_

* * *

He took silent delight in sliding the bolt across the door; the last thing any of them needed was another unexpected visitor. Hours had passed since Genesis and the others had left. Rufus had, surprisingly, offered them staff quarters within the ShinRa building, though something told Cloud the man hadn't done so out of the goodness of his heart. It was easier to keep a tab on the three men if they were kept close, nothing could erase the niggling doubt in the back of their minds.

Regardless, the three had refused and chosen to return to wherever they'd been staying all along, prompting an hour or two of arguing between the rest of them; what if they were going to the Remnants? What if it was all an elaborate plot to catch them off-guard? Cloud had been glad when Rufus had eventually decided to get some of his Turks to trail the men and find out what was going on with them. The company President had been fortunate enough in the weeks after the war with Deepground, numerous past employees of the company had chosen to return and help rectify the damage ShinRa had caused years previously.

Everyone else had trickled away soon after Rufus and the Turks had departed, all eager to try and make sense of the day's happenings in their own minds; he was still trying to wrap his head around things. Tifa had barely even looked at him since their argument in the kitchen. He reckoned she was just as upset about Denzel breaking it up than anything else; they were the adults. They were supposed to look after the kids and make sure they were safe, not force them into the role of referee.

Barret had offered to take Denzel and Marlene to Johnny's Heaven for some food, but Cloud knew the man had wanted to give him and Tifa some space to sort things out. They hadn't spoken to each other since their argument in the kitchen. He knew Tifa was more embarrassed that Denzel had taken on the role of referee than about the argument itself. She was the mother of the house, it was her job to make sure the children were safe and intervene when needed … she wasn't supposed to be the one shouting insults. Either was he, but emotions had been running high.

Cloud turned, watching Tifa as she busied herself drying glasses behind the bar. He sighed, arms folded across his chest as he eased himself onto one of the barstools.

"C'mon Teef."

"C'mon what?"

"About earlier."

"What about earlier?"

"And you say I hang onto the past…"

She glanced up, his mumbled response throwing her for a moment; she didn't hold onto the past. She hadn't been the one to cling onto it for years and cut off all of her friends … but he wasn't doing that anymore. He was here and he was doing his best to make the right decision for everyone. Tifa sighed, setting the glass she'd been drying down on the draining board, wiping her hands in the towel as she tried to organise her thoughts.

"It's just - can we _actually_ trust those men?"

"Do we actually have another choice?"

Sephiroth had burned their home to the ground and murdered their families and friend. Weiss had struck out at the world for revenge, his forces capturing and murdering as many people as they could round up. And then there was Genesis, she didn't know much about the man, but apparently he had instigated the mass SOLDIER desertion and had been the person to show Sephiroth the truth about Jenova.

How could they work with these men? How could they trust them? How could they be sure they wouldn't around and stab them in the back? She knew she was only thinking back over everything she'd already said, but usually the more you thought over something, the more sense it made. However, this was turning out to be the exception.

"What he did at Nibelheim. What he did to this whole world. Do you actually believe some Goddess asked them to help … how, when someone's dead, they're dead. That's it."

Cloud glanced up, shaking his head lightly; she didn't even believe her own words. He knew she didn't believe that, but any excuse would do her right now. He understood her turmoil, but he didn't share it.

"You don't believe that."

"How come you do?"

"Because Aerith and Zack helped us _a lot_ during Geostigma."

Tifa glanced away, cheeks reddening with shame; she knew that only too well. She had even taken the time to thank Aerith for her help in the battle against the remnants and in curing Geostigma. Without the intervention of their passed friends, the outcome may have been drastically different. But this was Sephiroth they were talking about - the very man who had murdered Aerith.

"But what he did to Aerith… "

He was the last person who needed reminding of what Sephiroth had done. But something was different now. The Sephiroth they had all faced had been unwavering and adamant in all of his movements. All of his actions had been working towards a single goal. He had wanted to avenge his mother. To punish an uncaring world for how it had treated her … but that fire of rage and indomitable will wasn't there anymore.

The Sephiroth they had all fought would have never allowed Genesis to lead the way. He wouldn't have allowed himself to be drawn into a petty argument with his cohort. He wouldn't have acknowledged all he had done.

"I've faced him enough times to know what he's capable of. I've been on the receiving end of his attacks enough to know how strong he is … I've stared into his eyes enough times to know he's not him anymore."

Tifa shook her head, leaning against the bar as she tried her best to understand; they had all fought Sephiroth back then and during the Geostigma epidemic, but none of them had come to blows with the man as many times as Cloud. She found it hard to make sense of his words, but Tifa genuinely wanted to see her friend's point of view - she owed him that much.

"How do you know that?"

Cloud shrugged, finding it difficult enough to understand his own string of thoughts, but something was different about the man.

"The last thing I want to do is trust him or defend him - but he's different … he wouldn't meet any of our eyes, he let Genesis take the lead - it's just not like the Sephiroth we fought."

"He's just manipulative."

"No - _it's_ gone. It's not there anymore."

Tifa frowned, hands unconsciously wringing the towel she'd used to dry the glasses; she knew what he was about to say, but that wasn't to say she wanted to hear it. If it was true, then the Sephiroth who had stood in her home only hours previously was just as innocent as they were … she didn't want to think of him as an innocent victim too. It was so much easier to hate him than it was to understand him.

"_It_?"

"Jenova … Tifa I know what it's like - to have something in your head pulling the strings and using you as a puppet - it's not there this time."

_Jenova_. She had known in her heart what it was. She hated even thinking about that thing. Though years had passed since Meteorfall, the memories of how it had manipulated Cloud still haunted her. Cloud had been innocent of his actions, but she didn't want to believe that its influence had extended to anyone else. If she allowed herself to believe what he was saying that meant Sephiroth was a victim, just as they were?

* * *

"Well, that could have gone worse."

"It could have gone better."

Genesis sighed, rolling his eyes as he purposely walked away from the other SOLDIER. Trust Sephiroth to see the cup as half empty. Things could have gone a lot worse. They could have defended themselves if the inhabitants of the bar hadn't eventually lowered their weapons; they could have fended off a confrontation and come out relatively unscathed - but that wouldn't have done much to earn them any brownie points where trust was concerned.

"Forever the pessimist."

They had gone to Edge to strike up an alliance and put and end to the remnants once and for all, and they had succeeded. Ignoring their unorthodox greeting and the initial unease amongst the larger party, things had simmered down. Maybe trust was an optimistic term, but a mutual understanding had been established - they needed help from each other, either that or they could all continue to struggle on, being picked off one by one until reality sunk in and it was too late to do anything else.

Sephiroth ignored his friend's childish eye-roll - it was so very simple for him to see the lighter side of their situation; he hadn't been the main instigator of the travesties that had torn Midgar apart. He hadn't been the one who's vision had become clouded and twisted by reality. He had stayed hidden away, sleeping while wars had waged on.

"I prefer '_realist'_ - have you forgotten how much water lies under this bridge?"

"What does it matter if it lies beneath the brid-"

"It matters."

He held Genesis' surprised gaze; he wanted the man to actually understand for once. No simple acceptance or half-assed argument, things were not that simple. Sephiroth wanted nothing more than to blame his friend for the state of their lives, but how could he blame someone who had been hidden away in slumber for the duration of his tirade?

He couldn't. Genesis may have struck the spark, but Sephiroth had fed its fire and kept it constant. He had allowed the flames to consume him and for that, he had no one to blame but himself.

"I killed their families. I burned their homes. I _murdered_ their friend - I tore their lives apart at the very seams and now they're supposed to trust me to defend them and aid them in combat…"

Sephiroth trailed off, turning his back on Genesis and taking a few steps away from the man. He cast his eyes around the dank cavern, eyes lingering on the crystal Genesis had slept in.

"_I_ wouldn't trust me."

* * *

_**A/N: It's a little short, but hopefully it won't be too long before I get a chance to update again. Cheers for sticking with this guys :)**_


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